


Wrath

by AllPrompts



Series: Consequences [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Umino Iruka, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, No Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 21:41:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6256915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllPrompts/pseuds/AllPrompts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka's anger reaches boiling point when it turns out a substitute teacher by the name of Ryozo Kogo taught the girls to fear and the boys to give up.</p>
<p>Iruka doesn't pick fights but for Ryozo he'll make an exception.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wrath

Iruka's rage was like a volcano in its intensity. Immediate, loud and distinct enough to notice before the point of eruption. But once Iruka started, he didn't stop. Not until he had his point across or his hurt soothed, or his pride simmered down and he'd realise his mistake. Relentless and over much faster than most would assume, Iruka knew his anger was linked by his candid nature. He disliked deceit and fake words. He lived each moment as content as he could considering the life of a shinobi. 

Today was so different, it scared Iruka a little. He could feel it all throughout class. A shimmer of anger he was used to but every word he spoke sounded normal. His anger usually showed itself by now. But this, this churned inside his head and Iruka just wanted a fight. Every time his class altered their behaviour to this new, but old-fashioned, reaction Iruka felt his patience wear. Iruka knew then he had never felt rage like this. His legs felt weak and trembling yet his hands stayed perfectly steady as he wrote on the board.

The substitute teacher had taught them the wrong values. Hanabi-chan sat stoic as usual but the boys around her pulled her hair no longer interested in learning. Risa-chan who was usually so easy-going had turned to try and punch her own harassers and the fraternal twins sitting at the back were noticeably the worst. She cried, he cried and then they bickered some more. Aito-kun and Ami-chan hadn't argued in his class. All he knew was they were now both scared of becoming ninja, not proud.

It would take longer than Iruka had time to undo whatever mess one Ryozo Kogo had set upon them all. He could only hope that tomorrow he would have a firm idea of what to do. Not that he wasn't thinking about punching the jounin in the face. He was, he was going to find him. He was going to find that fucking pest and demand answers. What was he thinking?

Iruka snapped the chalk in his hand and for once, the children picked up on Iruka's quiet time that wasn't filled with marking worksheets or reading a textbook. He burned a hole through the window, glaring. The more the words repeated in his head, the anger blazed more. But no, no yelling when the children themselves were already confused. He might reinforce ideals he didn't want. He'd have an open discussion on everything. Tomorrow. Right now, Iruka wanted to punch something.

Preferably Ryozo Kogo several times. In the face.

The idea of violence to a fellow shinobi whispered of not only insubordination but borderline treason depending on the severity and cause. Iruka was terrified he was past caring already. That fucking bastard was going to have a few choice words told to him. 

The class dismissed themselves as the shrill of the bell caused them to perk up immediately. Iruka ground out a response to go quickly and so watched them all leave, a few looking back curious at the chalk dust on his hands.

The door re-opened fifteen minutes after the morning class was finished. Iruka had hoped to isolate and cool this anger but that was the problem. If Iruka's rage was normally a volcano he was sure this was the cold bite of an avalanche. "Shikamaru, you will need to take my next class,"

Shikamaru sighed and Iruka flinched at how much that sound fuelled the emotion in him. Iruka was not in the mood for someone half his age to complain about work and in typical Nara fashion, Shikamaru proved his famous intellect by not saying more than necessary, "You alright?" Shikamaru gave a look over him as if assessing someone for wounds. Iruka grabbed at his bag and threw it over his head and onto his shoulder. The weight kept him grounded in more ways than one. 

"Ryozo, where is he? Where did he go?"

Shikamaru paused, maybe at the tone. Iruka wasn't sure he'd ever used it towards anyone before. Maybe at the scowl Iruka knew was scrunching up his face in a way no one could find attractive or particularly typical of his cheery mood. He knew his anger was different then when it was his old student that gave him a look of unsettled disbelief.

"Training Grounds Three, I think." Shikamaru gave him a hard look, "Whatever he's done, Iruka-sensei, reign in the killing intent, you'll be stopped by ANBU before you even find him."

"Thanks for the reminder," Iruka went off to find him, grabbing the strap of his bag and hoping dearly that not only did he find him but he was reasonable. The mature side of him tried different techniques to calm himself down. Counting, rethinking the situation from Ryozo's side -- and by that time Iruka was stomping furiously towards the Training Grounds and he didn't even care if the ANBU stopped him.

He hoped they did. He didn't know what he'd do when he saw that man's face.

Training Ground Three was sadly not purely occupied by his target. Chakra spoke of at least a few more jounin-levels around. Iruka recognised numbly that one was Genma and he could see Ryozo standing, chatting away with what appeared to be Izumo. Not for long.

"What did you say to my class, Ryozo!" Iruka had yanked that bag filled with worksheets, lesson plans, books and thrown it to the side. Fuck if it got lost. Izumo blinked and looked between him and Ryozo. Before he interjected anything, Ryozo responded in the worst way. 

"Teaching them some hard lessons, Iruka-sensei," Ryozo didn't finish that sentence because Iruka punched him in the face with as much chakra he could muster in the few strides it took to close the distance. Izumo had jumped back and Iruka vaguely felt chakra of the other jounin and nearby shinobi flaring in response to the sudden violence.

Kakashi. Genma. Izumo. 

Picking a fight with a jounin was not a smart move.

Sakura. Ino.

That relit Iruka's fury with so much intensity, Iruka was sure he growled. No more than when Iruka's knuckles connected with Ryozo's face did his own flash of pain appear, he'd punched back, hard on the cheek. So hard that for a second, Iruka considered he'd probably end up laughably black-and-blue and having achieved nothing.

But shit, Iruka kneed him in the gut and Ryozo went flying for a moment. Twisting in the air and slowing down the propulsion by digging his heels deep into the ground. He wasn't even bothering to deflect or block; Iruka went straight after him. This was beyond anything he'd ever felt before. Mizuki and his fuma shruiken was a breeze on the conflicting emotions that bubbled and bit at his mind. He shouldn't be fighting. 'But fuck, Ryozo, you fucking fuck,' was all his mind was raging. 

"You told them kunoichi weren't valuable shinobi!" Iruka fumed and Ryozo stood back up straight and Iruka found himself with an intense stamp aimed at his knee. Fucker. 

"I said - if your brats could listen--" Iruka got punched in the face again and as he refused to take even a step back, he saw the look of disdain on Ryozo's dark eyes, "--women shouldn't fight."

"Why are you even allowed to teach?" Iruka was sure that was classed a hiss, he said it to no one, just voicing his hate for this situation. Then headbutted the ever advancing jounin, the blood from his nose gushed.

"I've experienced a lot more than you have, brat. I taught them valuable information you were too scared would scar them!" Then in a blink of an eye, he was behind Iruka, and he hit him there. In the spine - where Mizuki had and Iruka might have found it funny in differing circumstance that the man was still giving him problems despite being in prison. The kick was strong enough to force him towards the trees that surrounded the Training Grounds. His perfect playground, once upon a time.

More punches, kicks - Iruka elbowed Ryozo between his ribcage, he'd aimed to wind him but the chakra was buzzing off him and Ryozo only gave a grunt of pain and a clear grimace on his pale face. So, Iruka took advantage and pulled the damn jounin, threw him over his shoulder and through a few trees.

"As a teacher you're suppose to give them the tools to navigate the world on their own - with confidence! You just used it as a soap box for your own ideology!" Iruka wasn't sure where he was, but when Ryozo reappeared, Iruka ended up on his back and furious fists pummelled down on his face. 

"Bullshit! And you don't?" Ryozo snarled back and once again Iruka's blinding rage corresponded with no defence - his movements were not textbook, he knew. He knew he was going about this fight all wrong if he wanted to win: but that wasn't relevant. He just wanted this prick to fucking hurt. And bleed. 

"You told them to give up," Iruka had grabbed dirt with a out stretched hand, burst knuckles bleeding. In quick succession he used the palm of his hand to hit Ryozo's chin. Quick enough and Ryozo's survival instincts kicked in with his neck so exposed - he moved back just enough. Iruka shoved the dirt into his eyes and then escaping, he couldn't not take a boot to the man's face. 

Ryozo disappeared into smoke before the hit connected. Iruka growled again, his back felt wet from the dirt. If he'd stayed still for another second he'd have taken a kick to the back of the head, Iruka thankfully used replacement jutus nearly every day. He could do so without the need of much thought.

"Some of them shouldn't even be in the academy," Another barrage of hits and every time Iruka was hit - a kick to the abdomen or a deflection that caused his ligaments to scream - he kept going. He didn't care how little Ryozo thought of this fight or how little he was trying or even if Iruka was being pitied. 

"That's not our decision!" Iruka grabbed at Ryozo's wrist in hopes to twist it - break the fucking thing - but he was slippery and easily broke out. He looked at him then, eye contact wasn't really a thing in fights but... But Iruka was both horrified and relished in the damage he'd done to the moron's face. A bloody nose, good few hits that were bruising around his eyes and brow. Don't think about the bruises, not yet.

"You're the fucking idiot. You can't expect to send some of those brats into war and live. They'll die - you're the irresponsible one!" Iruka thought of how many people thought Sakura hadn't been worth the effort. She wasn't an established shinobi family, why bother? Iruka moved out of the way of one punch leaving Ryozo's hand embedded deep in the trunk of the tree behind. Iruka took full advantage for those few seconds.

"Tsunade-sama and Sakura-chan saved thousands when Paine attacked. How many did you save? How many!" Iruka placed too much chakra into his hand, he could feel the pathways burning and ripping but he didn't stop. He struck Ryozo in the gut and for a moment he was still before he dropped to the earth and spluttered.

"Wasn't enough was it? We were lucky Naruto managed to talk sense into the maniac," Ryozo coughed out unevenly and for a moment everything was still. Like the rage had vanished. He hurt. He really hurt. Hearing Naruto's name awakened him from his fog. Naruto had given everything for this village and here Iruka was fighting someone who he should call family by the Will of Fire standards. 

Iruka knew Ryozo's ideals were like everyone else's with good intentions just jaded with time and pain. He took a calming breath, "If you think that, if you really think that. Go spit on all the graves of the kunoichi we've lost. Go, go tell their lovers, their family - their kids that sorry, they didn't do enough to be considered. Tell them they died for nothing and their sacrifice means nothing." And then he remembered why Ryozo had the view he did, "Go say that at your wife's grave, Ryozo. Go tell her how she shouldn't have fought,"

If she hadn't fought, she might still be living: Iruka couldn't argue that point, he didn't know if she would or not. No one could really know that. Ryozo didn't say anything, he just wiped at his face, wiped away the blood from his mouth.

"If you ever tell any student to give up, to not bother to try because they'll never make it: we will have a problem." Iruka was calm again. The adrenaline helped keep his thoughts from the pain he was in - and it was going to hurt once it wore off. He could feel the ache to his ribs now. He'd probably broken one of them.

"I won't teach your brats again, happy?" Iruka decided that he'd ignore the venom in those words. He'd done enough. Without an answer, Iruka turned around and walked away, only pausing to pick up his discarded backpack and slinging it back over his head. 

He ignored the appearance of all of the spectators. He'd forgotten entirely about them and if his face wasn't bruising and bloodied he'd probably be sporting an incredible blush. Kakashi, Genma, Izumo, Sakura and Ino all seemed cautious, like Iruka would turn on either of them. 

Izumo was the first one he heard speak and it was to Ryozo - to see if he was okay. He didn't want to embarrass himself any further. He liked to be reliable, this was not reliable. This was shameful. Iruka sighed and wondered how much trouble he was in. In order to focus on anything but panic, Iruka pulled out one of the kids worksheets. Who knows? Maybe one of them had answered a question in an amusing manner. He needed his spirits lifted.

He'd need to make a new lesson plan. His eye was swelling up and made it difficult to see, strands of hair stuck to his face awkwardly. Well, he'd go home for now. He couldn't return to the academy like this or teach in this state. Maybe he'd go to the hospital once the usual self-loathing that came after his anger lifted.

Iruka wasn't sure if it was a good thing that his pride flickered under the words Ryozo spat, "He pulled his punches till the last one, sneaky fucker."

**Author's Note:**

> I generally went with this fight going by Iruka's and Ebisu's databooks and how they rank up considering Iruka's a chunin and Ebisu ranks as jounin and how Ebisu managed to hold his own for a while against a certain someone. I hope it wasn't one sided on either side? I think they both gave as much as they got. 
> 
> Also Iruka fighting for his students makes me warm and fuzzy inside.


End file.
